Shuffle & Sow
by Tyronica
Summary: Anzu is New York training to be a dancer at NYU. Seto Kaiba is establishing his US corporate office there. Mokuba is just trying to be a normal teenage millionaire.


Disclaimer: I do not own Yugioh! I make no money from this story. This is just for fun.

' ' = thoughts

" " = speech

Shuffle & Sow

Chapter 1: Stretch

Sakura blossoms flitted about as Anzu enjoyed the crisp spring day in the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens. Today was Sakura Matsuri. It was the time once a year that Anzu allows herself to indulge in nostalgia and homesickness, ever since she came to New York to begin her advanced dance education. Anzu closed her eyes becoming lost in thought. Throughout the years the festival has become more pop culture centric, but Anzu came for the Kabuki Buyo. When Anzu lived in Japan, she didn't care much for classical Japanese dance. Classical dance especially for women was about being as elegant as possible in costumes and kimonos that prevented one from moving much. Japanese dance didn't seem like dance at all, especially Buyo. It was more like pantomime than true dance. For her dance was an athletic pursuit. She needed to stretch and leap. Anzu loved to create bizarre and beautiful shapes with her body. She needed to burst with energy and move her arms with complete abandon. She wanted to whirl like helicopter blades. Anzu yearned to be superhuman. Now that she was here in New York fulfilling her ambitions, however, something about watching pantomime like dance made her feel warm. Rather than restrictive, she saw the dance as poised. It reminded her of home without being too sentimental. It is the kind of nostalgia she could deal without pain. Anzu opened her eyes to take in the performance not wanting to spoil her afternoon by reminiscing. "I know I like to hold onto things, but I must try to exert myself. I will not stay stagnant." she said to herself. Living in New York, had toughened her up even more. She had always been bold and never shied away from confrontations, but New York had created a self assuredness that she had not possessed while in Japan. 'If I were the way I am now back when Atem was around I definitely would have told him my feelings even knowing the uselessness of having them. I would have been secure in that knowledge and him knowing that truth. If I am being honest though, I think he already knew and he chose not to encourage it. Still, it would have been good for my peace of mind. Ugh, this is pointless'. Anzu resolutely trained her eyes on the stage as the music began. The performance began with four women in elaborate kimonos performing a fan dance and Anzu settled in to enjoy the serene display. 

Back in Manhattan, a pantomime of a different sort occurred at a gaming conference. Currently, Mokuba mimed being interested in the presentation on introducing more technology to new trend of designer board and tabletop games. 'The point of those games is to get back to a simpler time and engage in the real world to play. Making it like everything else misses the point. I mean it might work for a game like Dominion, but that game is based on games like Duel Monsters and Magic the Gathering. And that is not some great insight. I cannot see it working as well for things like Carcassonne and Settlers of Catan. I think he is presenting this too the wrong audience. These tabletop designers and companies will not be receptive to this'. Mokuba thought rather irritably. Mokuba glanced askance at his brother, but Seto Kaiba had the look he always had at these things. He never wanted to give away anything, whether he be impressed or thought something was idiotic. He looked across the aisle to see Ryuji Otogi, who wasn't even bothering to hide his disinterest. Ryuji Otogi owned a very successful game shop, so Mokuba supposed he already saw all the flaws. He noticed Otogi check his watch. 'Maybe he has a prior engagement. Probably some hot girl', Mokuba mused. Despite making the move over to US in the middle of their semester, he attended school anyway to get acclimated. It was now well into April and Mokuba was unaware of prom until he had arrived. Mokuba wanted to attend but the few girls that were not already attached he was not comfortable enough to ask. He was fine going with a friend, but he had spent such little time around these students he was not sure what to expect. Mokuba knew that Seto wants him to have as normal an adolescence as possible for a teenage multimillionaire who had a billionaire as an older brother. He took notice of all the cute american girls in class, in Japan people knew who he was so if he wanted a date he didn't have to do much. Plus he wasn't bad looking. Perhaps if he had a bit more time he could figure out a suitable solution. Mokuba held in a sigh. Mokuba loved his brother, but he wished that showed some more inclination towards the female persuasion. Or frankly any persuasion. Mokuba couldn't tell if he was asexual or this was part of his whole everyone is alone mantra. Mokuba know that is not true. He know Seto would do anything possible to make he wasn't alone. He just wished he would let him return the favor. Mokuba would one day like to protect him for once, just to show him the error of his presumptions. Mokuba grinned ruefully to himself. 'You getting way too serious!' Anyway, Mokuba would have liked to have taken cues from him in the romantic arena as he did in the business arena. Mokuba knew he would not learn to woo from his brother. He glanced back at Otogi. Perhaps, he could learn from him. His brother didn't mind him too much, especially after he saw Katsuya Jonouchi in that dog costume on national television. Kaiba knew that Katsuya and Otogi were friends now, but he couldn't help but look more favorably at Otogi after that. 'If Seto is not going to get to it, I guess I will have to bear the burden of producing an heir.' Mokuba then imagined himself in Elizabethan costume as he made that pronouncement and had to suppress a giggle. The presentation mercifully ended and the attendees began to mill about. Mokuba turned toward his brother and said "I am going to look around abit. Do you want to meet at a specific time or do you have something else planned. His brother responded crisply, "I have a dinner to attend later. Your presence is not required so you may do as you please. Just don't stay out too late". His brother eyed him rather sharply before taking out his phone to make some calls as he walked away. Mokuba smiled as he strode in the opposite direction. 'It seems he can still tell when I'm up to something. At least he didn't grill me. I suppose he want to give teenage brother space, like he had as a teen'. Mokuba spotted Otogi by some German boutique game designer's stall look at her wares. She also was pretty cute, which made Mokuba wonder how much business Otogi was really getting done. 'Otogi had a pretty rough past with his father, yet he seemed to have come through relatively normal after encountering'. Seto's went from theatrical psychopath to sullen recluse, which Mokuba supposed the latter was better than the former. 'Seto is just special, I guess. He never does things the way anyone else would. Even when making his miraculous heel- face turn. Though, Seto did seem to strangely have more fun as a crazy person. Now he pours all his whimsy into games, technology, and clothing. Seto is a bit too serious, for his own good. At least he decided now that they were establishing a semi permanent residence in the United States he would cut the mullet. As "stylish" as Kaiba insisted it was he wanted to present a more polished look not that he was running in higher society.' Mokuba's ruminations halted as he approached the stall and greeted Otogi. "What's up Otogi?" Ryuji looked at him and nodded then he turned back to woman at the stall. He slid a business card over to her and said, "We can continue this discussion at a later time" then he winked at her. She blushed, and Mokuba looked dumbfounded. Who knew that kind of brazen cheesiness worked?! 'I guess you have to have the right personality to pull that off'. Mokuba tried to imagine Seto winking at someone and almost doubled over in hysterics. Ryuji looked at him curiously. Mokuba straightened up abruptly and sheepishly said, "Sorry, I just had a very bizarre image float through my head". After that Mokuba recovered and continued in a intentionally corny manner, "Anyway, I was about to hit the town and I was wondering where a youthful boy of sixteen could find some good clean fun!" Ryuji laughed as he motioned for him to follow him as he replied "You wouldn't come to me asking for good clean fun. I know what you are looking for and the girls I date are too old for you." Mokuba smiled at himself for being so transparent. "That is not the only thing on my mind, though I could use a date for prom. I want to get a date from outside the school to minimize complications incase I do want to date someone from my school later. I was just thinking maybe you could just lend me the number to one of the many models you know. It would be very friendly." Ryuji looked doubtful replying "The girl might enjoy it but you won't. It will be a lot of pinching of the cheeks". Ryuji check his watch again then said, "Look, why don't you come along with me. I headed to Brooklyn to botanical gardens there. They are having their annual Sakura Matsuri festival and a they are having a cosplay fashion show and my friend is participating. Maybe you will find someone there". Mokuba nodded his approval. 'Even if I don't meet someone there I can at least feel a bit more at home even it is for a few hours'. "Sounds good!"

Author's Note: Please read and review. I hope my grammar was okay. I struggled with whether to use present tense or past tense when writing this story. I'm not sure if I like it as much in past tense, but it seemed to be the safer choice. Thanks.


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